Railway brake beam



Jan. l0, 1928. 1,655,754

S. A. CRONE RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Filed Sept. 25. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ff-- W- {l/e9 i i; Z4

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S. CRONE RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Filed Sept. 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i @if NZ Y i INVENTOR ATTORN EY I Patented Jan. 1o, 192s.

UNITED STATES 1,555,154 PATENT OFFICE.

SETE A. CRONE, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO BUFFALO BRAKE BEAM COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM.

Application mled September 25, 1925. Serial No. 58,610.

The present invention relates to railway I brake-beams and particularly to safety means applied to the spring plank or other portion of a car-truck for catching and sup- Sporting the brake-beams, should they, for

any reason, become unhung and fall down.

An object of the present invention is to provide anl inexpensive safety emergency support for brake-beams on car-trucks and the like which is in position `at all times to engage immediately any part of the brakebeamfmechanism accidently broken or dislocated, to support same until the breakage is repaired, and to adapt such a support to l5 be readily attached to the spring plank of the truck without danger of any'parts being loosened and lost.

Another object of the invention is to adapt such a safety device to be supported from the spring plank of the car-truck by means of a U-s'ha ed metallic strap having its upper ends anged inwardly to be sprung about the plank or other portion of the truck to engage same rigidly.

Other and further objects of the invention y will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrated embodiment about to be described or will be obvious from the accompanying drawingson'indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages secured bythe invention` other than those herein specilically referred to will occur to one skilled in the art, or lbecome evident upon the employment of the invention in practice.

The invention about to be described is of particular utility in connection with trussed brake-beams hung transversely of a cartruck on opposite sides of the spring plank substantially parallel thereto, and contemplates. the attachment of a supporting bracket at each end of the spring plank, by means of lmetallic straps extending Within the bracketsand upwardly therefrom Whereby their free ends may be sprung into rigid and secure engagement with said plank to hold the brackets in position. Suitable safety' supporting members fit firmly in said bracketsand extend outwardly slightly below'and beyond the brake-beams on the respective sides ofthe plank whereby, it the beams should drop from their customary position, each of them would be caught by the outer ends of the extended members and supported at two points to prevent their falling beneath the wheels of the truck. Wedge pins are inserted 'through apertures in the brackets to engage and lock the safety members in position.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been select-ed for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a car-truck illustrating the present invention applied to the spring plank and the relation of the brake-beams thereto;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;' t

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing in detail the safety bars rigidly secured in a bracket at- .tached to the spring plank by means oa strap sprung into position thereon;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line 4.-4 of Fig. 2 illustrating details of the invention; v v

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 illustrating in detail the application of the locking pin for securing the safety bars in position;

Fig. 6 is a modified form of my invention illustrating another way of securing the safety bars in the supporting brackets;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 illustrating details of the modified form of' the invention;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view along the line 8--8 of Fig. 6;

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate the application of a specific type of punch for forming apertures with bearing surfaces in the sides ot the channel supporting bracket-s or in the sides of the safety jbars asthe case may be; Fig. V11 is. a detailed perspective view of the end of a safety bar showing the corners thereof bent outwardly to prevent its re moval from the supporting bracket; and

Fig. 12 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 11 illustrating another way of forming projections on the ends of the safety bars.

Referring more particularly to the draw.- ings, there 1s shown a spring plank 15 of the well known channel form, with the usual type of inside hung trussed brake-beams 16 on the respective sides thereof lcomprising a devices not shown. It will be understoodv that at the juncture of the respective ends of the tension and compression members of the brake-beams, brake-shoes are attached for engagement with the four wheels of the truck when pressure is applied to move the brake-beams away from the spring plank. A more detailed explanation of the relation of the spring plank and brake-beams to the parts of a car-truck may be found in the patent to Henry C. Williamson, No. 567,428, dated September 8, 1896.,

To prevent the parts of the brake-beam from falling in cases of loosened bolts, broken parts and the like, thereis provided a safety supporting bar 20 at each end of the spring plank to., extend transversely thereof and outwardly below and beyond the ends of the brake-,beams to prevent their dropping beneath the trucks. Each safety.

bar is secured to the spring plank by means of a channel supporting bracket 21 having a fiat upper portion 22 and downwardly depending parallel side portions 24 properly spaced to receive the safety bar 20.

A U-shaped strap 25 extends through the channel of the bracket 21 with its bottom portion 26 enveloped by the sides 24 and riveted to the upper portion-22 of the bracket per edges of the sides of the plank and with the fiat upper portion 22 of the bracket 21 held rmly against the bottom of the plank. The parts are further secured in position and prevented from moving longitudinally of the plank by means of the rivets 29 extending through the sides of the plank and. the upwardly extending portions `of the strap. Rivets arel used for the attachment to bolts and the like for the reason that they are more positive in operation and less likely to corrode excessively.

The depending parallel sides 24 of the bracket 21 are flanged inwardly and upwardly at their lower edges. as shownat -30 to provide a pair of guideways 31 extending longitudinally of the bracket. The safety bars 2Q are preferably of inverted channelshaped cross-section with a longitudinal groove or recess.34 to add strength to the bar without increasing its dimensions. In use the sides of the channels extend 'downwardly and fit into the guideways 31 whereby the bar may slide along same until it is in proper position. The center of the baris depressed on its upper side, as shown at 33 in Figs. 3 and 5, so that it may be properly -positioned and locked in place. Suitable apertures 35 are formed in the sides 24 of to facilitate its movement over the safety bar.

The apertures 35 and proper bearing surfaces therefor may be conveniently formed by means of a punch 41, shown in Figs. 9 and 10, which has a lower cutting `surface 42 andan upper surface 44 set back therefrom to press the metal` at the upper part.`

of an aperture inwardly to form the bearing iiange 40. lA suitable cotter pin may be secured in an aperture 45 at the end of the pin 36 to hold it in position. As a further precaution l against loss of the pin 36, a Ufshaped locking member 46 formed of sheet metal adapted to fit about the lower portion of the bracket 21 and having apertures to correspond with the apertures 35 in the bracket, may be placed in position so that the bolt 36 will pass through the apertures in its respective ends. The elongated leg 47 of the U-shaped memberl is bent downwardly over the head of the pin 36 when in position to prevent removal in case the cotter pin is lost. This form of lock is shown in several of \my copending applications, and no claim to it is made herein.

I A modified form of the invention is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 wherein the inverted supporting bracket 21 is secured by means of the strap 25 to the spring plank as described hereinb'efore; but the safety bar is formell without a depression at its center or yal groove extending longitudinally `at the top thereof, it being adapted to lit flat against the strap 25 which extends through the upper portion of the inverted bracket. The depending Sides 24 of the bracket are bent inwardly at their respective ends only, thereby forming' supporting shelves 50 to receive the lower edges of the safety bars. Suitable apertures 51 are formed in the sides 24 of the bracket, the supporting surfaces for the pin 36 being formed at the center of the safetybar by portions on the lower edge thereof being bent inwardly at 54 to forma recess therein. yThe pin 3 6 extends through the apertures 5l and engages the supporting surfaces 54 to lock the safety bar firmly in position and to press -it tightly against the strap 25 -in the uper part of the supporting bracket 21. The ocking means 46 and a suitable cotter pin are provided, and mounted as describedv tailed perspective views of the ends "of safety bars, each of which has a; lug formed at the corners ofthe sides-thereof to prevent loss of the bar in case the pin 36 should be forgotten or lost, by engaging the side of the supporting bracket when the safety bar works to one side 'orlthe other of the car-truck.

and the slittcd portion is bent outwardly to.

form locking lugs 56.

It Will be seen that the present invention comprises a minimum of individual part-s' which may be readily and securely assem i l bled, and applied to the spring plank of a car-truck in a minimum time. The safety bars are adapted to engage av deranged brake-beam atvtwo points and maintainl it out-'of contact with the rails or the moving parts of the t'ruckuntil repairs can bc made. All parts of the device are rugged'in construction and securely and rigidly fixed to each other to withstand the rough usage which devices of this general character encounter. As various embodiments may be made" in the invention above described, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. In a car-truck having a spring plank and inside hung brake-beams, the combination of a supporting bracket at each end ofthe spring plank, said brackets having depending longitudinal sides with apertures formed therein, safety bars mounted in the sides of said brackets and extending longitudinally ofthe truck beneath the brakebeams, each of vsaidisafety bars having a de pression adjacent the apertures in said bracket, pins'extending through said apertures to 'engage said depressions and lock said safety bars in position, said apertures having bearing surfaces on the upper sides thereof in opposition to the depressions ofthe safety bars to facilitate the insertion of the pins therein, and metallic straps` for. attaching said brackets to said spring plankeach comprising a horizontal portion extending between the sides ofthe bracket, and upstanding end portions adapted to be sprunginto engagement .with the spring plank for supporting lthe brackets and the safety bars mounted therein.

2. In a car-truck having a spring plank and inside hung brake-beams, the combina- .inwardly tion of metallic supporting brackets secured to the spring plank and provided with means forsupporting safety bars, each of said' brackets having opposite apertures, safety bars supported by the brackets, and pins extending through said apertures and engaging and holding the safetybars in position, said brackets having integral deiected parts extending in such directions as to furnish the apertures with vextended bearing surlf)aces for the pins in opposition to the safety ars.

B. In a car-truck having a spring plank and inside hung brake-beams, the combination of metallic supporting brackets secured to the spring plank and provided with means for supporting safety bars, each of said brackets having opposite apertures, and pins exending through said apertures and engaging the bars, said brackets having integral dcfi'ected parts extending in` such direction as to furnish the apertures with extended bearing surfaces for the pins at their sides opposite to their engagement with the bars. 4. In a car-'truck having a spring plank and inside hung brake-beams, the combination of a metallic supporting bracket Secured to the spring plank and provided with-means for supporting a safety bar, said bracket having oppositely disposed apertures, and a pin extending through said apertures for engagement with notched portions of the safety bar, said bracket having means adjacent cach of said apertures to form extended bearing surfaces for the pin in o positiorrto the notched portions of the sa ety bars.

5. A bracket for supporing safety bars and the like, comprising a pair of depending sides bent inwardly at the lower portions thereof to form bar supporting means, and oppositely disposed aperturesin the sides of said Ibracket adapted to receive al pin-for engaging a safety har to secure it in position, said 'sides having integral portions extending adjacent said apertures to form. extended earingsurfaces for the safety bar securing pin in opposition to the safety bar.

6. In'a car truck having a spring plank and inside hung brake-beams, the combination of metallic support-ing brackets secured to the spring plank and provided 'with seats for supporting the lower side of safety bars,

each of said brackets having alined apertures immediately above the top side ofthe safety bars, and pins extending through said? apertures to maintain the bars in position,

vsaid brackets having means extending inwardly to provide, at the apertures, bearing surfaces for the top sides of the pins.

sE'rH A. oRoNE. 

